NM city, victim of government burn, now faces water shortage

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN and BRITTANY PETERSON
Associated Press

LAS VEGAS, N.M. (AP) — The city of Las Vegas, New Mexico, earlier this year already endured the devastation of the state’s largest fire in recorded history, caused by federal officials carrying out what was supposed to be a prescribed burn to lessen the wildfire danger. Now, those same charred lands under deluge from a powerful seasonal monsoon are channeling contaminated runoff into the city’s drinking water supply. Las Vegas has less than 30 days of water left. People here know how to live with water scarcity and have little ability to cut back further. The city is erecting a temporary treatment system but has no solution for the long term.